


they don't know about us

by AspenRoman



Category: Runaways (TV 2017)
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-08
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:21:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22163977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AspenRoman/pseuds/AspenRoman
Summary: Karolina and Nico vie for the heart of the newest bachelor Chase Stein, but end up falling in love with each other instead.
Relationships: Chase Stein/Gertrude Yorkes, Karolina Dean/Nico Minoru
Comments: 22
Kudos: 135





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> basically Karolina is a closeted gay, Nico is an orphan, and Chase is still a puppy. Karolina, Nico, and Gert are all contestants on the Bachelor, but Nico and Karolina spend more time with each other than they do with Chase. Deanoru with Gertchase.

One thing that Karolina Dean hates the most is the spotlight. As the child of a famous actor and the leader of the Church of Gibborim, she's been thrust into the limelight for the majority of her life. After being stuck under her parents' thumb for so long, she longs for freedom and to find love for the first time in her twenty-two years of life (being in a Church/cult kind of scared away most prospects). And so, after three glasses of wine, she fills out an application for some reality show and then proceeds to pass out on her floor. Months pass and the spur-of-a-moment application fades from her mind. But then, lo-and-behold, Karolina gets accepted and suddenly there's only a month until shooting starts and she's whisked away on shopping trip after shopping trip. Her mother, Leslie, could not have been more thrilled for Karolina to be able to promote the Church and "spread their message of light". Karolina thinks it's all a bunch of bullshit, but smiles and agrees like the perfect little daughter she's pretended to be for so long. And while she hates the spotlight, she's used to it and the newest Bachelor, Chase Stein, seems like a sweet guy. Maybe she can find love, and if she does, all of the hurdles she has to face will be worth it.

On the first day of shooting, Karolina can feel her hands shake as she finishes up her makeup and is ushered into the limo. She hasn't seen anyone else yet and wonders how any of this is supposed to go, she'd seen an episode here or there of The Bachelor, but that was the extent of her knowledge. Almost as if the driver can sense her nerves, he clears his throat and Karolina looks up from her nails to him.

"You're the first girl to enter the mansion, just be yourself. Are you waiting on any props or anything?" He asks.

_Oh shit, props, was that a thing she was supposed to do?_

The driver laughs, "If you didn't bring any, that's totally fine too. Some girls like to be dramatic, others rely solely on their looks and personality. Seriously, Chase is as human as you are. Just be humble and be yourself, and you're sure to win him over. Good luck."

Karolina shoots him a tiny smile as the limo rolls to a stop and she peers out of her window at the giant house. At the front entrance is Chase, dressed in a simple blue suit and with his hands clasped in front of his body. HIs chesnut hair is parted to the right and gelled back lately. He looks almost as nervous as her, that's reassuring.

"Alright, camera rolling, sound speeding. Girl one, go," Karolina hears a voice yell and then opens the limo door.

The first thing that shocks her is how bright everything is. It's past six in the afternoon, but the lights make it seem like it just became noon. Karolina forces a smile on her lips as she exits the limo and makes her way to Chase. And just as she's about to reach him, her heel catches on part of her dress and she's sent tumbling forward. _Oh God, this is how she goes, face-planting in front of her future husband._ At the last second, she feels strong hands grab her and pull her back to her feet. Suddenly, she's uncomfortably close to Chase, close enough to see his eyelashes and the tiny strand of hair that fell in front of his face. Her heart is beating uncontrollably, and she can't decide if it's because of him or the fact she almost fell.

"Didn't think you'd fall for me that fast," he smiles, dimples and all, "sorry, that was really cheesy. I'm Chase."

"Thank you for the save, I really didn't want my first impression to be me falling on my face. I'm Karolina," she laughs.

Chase chuckles and she can tell this is genuine with the way the light reaches his eyes, "I'll catch you anytime you need me to, Karolina."

Karolina smiles, "I'll see you inside?"

Chase gently lets go of her, "Can't wait."

With another toothless smile, Karolina squeezes his arm before she walks past him and is ushered inside of the house. She can feel her hands shaking as someone hands her a glass of champagne and she downs it instantly, she's going to need it if she wants to get through the rest of the night. The producers show her into a room with an enormous couch, and Karolina makes herself at home while she waits for the others to arrive. It isn't long, Karolina hasn't even finished her second glass, that's how fast it is, before another contestant arrives, a light-skinned woman in an emerald dress named Xavin. There's something slightly off-putting about Xavin, maybe it's the way she speaks as if she's some long-lost relative of the Queen, but they fall into easy, mindless conversation. More and more contestants stream in and Karolina can't remember all of their names, only that one's named Eiffel like the tower and another has bright purple hair. And as fast as it begins, it comes to an end, with the producers announcing that the final girl has just exited.

"Is that who I think it is?" Eiffel, like the tower, squeals and all of the girls are drawn to the windows like moths to a flame.

With her third glass in hand, but going considerably slower, Karolina doesn't bother to get up. The girl is on her way in anyways, who cares if she sees her early? 

"Oh my God, that's Nico Minoru," another girl breathes out.

"Everyone act normal, be cool," Eiffel smooths down her hair and tries to shoo everyone away from the gigantic windows as Nico makes her way inside.

When Karolina sees her for the first time her stomach flips, but she's pretty sure that's because of all of the alcohol. Nico saunters into the room like she owns the place, her face covered in minimal makeup and her body adorned by a silk, coal-colored dress. Karolina had heard of Nico in the past few years, she was the youngest billionaire in the world after an accident killed the rest of her family. Her past was infamous, as was her breakup with Alex Wilder, some son of a rumored gang leader and attorney. Her mother even used to say that Nico and her were friends as kids, but Karolina doubted any of it was true. As if noticing all the eyes on her, Nico just sighs and takes a glass of champagne off of a tray.

"If you're all going to stare at me like I'm some zoo animal, I'm going to need stronger shit than this," Nico rolls her eyes and then suddenly she's making her way over to Karolina.

_Shit, she's coming over here, what should she do? Act cool, Karolina, act cool._

"Mind if I sit? You're the only one not staring at me like I have two heads," Nico looks at her and Karolina's breath catches in the throat.

 _It's the alcohol,_ she tells herself and then opens her mouth to speak, "Yeah, I mean, yes, yes, of course."

Nico just raises an eyebrow at her before she takes a long drink of her champagne, "I'm Nico, but I'm sure you've heard that by now. And your name is?"

"Karolina," she gives her a small smile, "it's nice to meet you."

"Karolina," Nico repeats and Karolina wonders why her name sounds so good coming from her mouth, "it fits you. It's nice to meet you too."

"Uh, this is dumb, but how did you even get on here? Like, shouldn't the producers just have made you the Bachelorette or something? You're probably more well-known than Chase," Karolina blabbers.

Nico stifles a laugh, "It's cool. My friend nominated me for this shit, and I guess they wanted bigger names for this season. Chase has a lot of money with his inventions, a bunch of these girls are models I'm sure. See, that girl over there with the purple hair? That's Gert, we've met a few times. Her parents are the owners of some type of vegan food empire, she's probably got as much as Chase. The producers wanted people with some amount of money or fame, that way they can't be accused of using Chase for his. And you-"

"Me?" Karolina's eyebrows raise so fast she's surprised they don't fall off of her head, "What about me?" 

"Karolina Dean, spokesperson for the Church of Gibborim, one of the biggest churches in California. Known for a lot of scandals, a lot of scams, and a lot more. Maybe not everyone knows you here, but I'm sure the natives do, even if they don't care to admit it. Everyone knows you're not as perfect as you try to be. There's eyes everywhere. You can never be as invisible as you want," Nico shrugs and stands up.

"What the hell do you know about me?" Karolina feels her blood boiling, even though Nico is right about everything.

"C'mon Karrie, we used to be friends, don't act like that," Nico sends her a smile, but it's more baring of teeth than anything else, "anyways, enjoy your night."

The fight drains out of Karolina as fast as it arrives, and any argument dies in her throat. Leslie was right after all, they were friends, but why couldn't Karolina remember any of it? And why were there no pictures of any of them together. Before Karolina can follow Nico, Chase strolls into the room and all attention is on him. With a bright smile, he offers his hand to Karolina and off she goes. He leads her outside and toward a bench by the pool. After Karolina sits down, he sits down beside her and has one hand on her knee and one on the back of the bench.

"This is all crazy," Chase laughs, "I hope this all hasn't freaked you out too much."

"What do you mean?" Karolina tilts her head slightly.

"You and I, we're some of the only people who wear their hearts on their sleeves, and I can tell that already. A lot of these girls are immediately closed off and I don't know, I can feel it. You just...you just make me feel warm, if that makes sense. It feels like I've known you longer than I have. But enough of me talking, tell me more about yourself," Chase says.

Karolina nods along to him, "I'm twenty-two and I live in Los Angeles. My dad's an actor and my mom's the leader of a church. I don't know, maybe this is the champagne talking, but I've never done tons of things outside of my comfort zone to be honest, so I'm very out of my element. Maybe it'll be good for me. My mom says the best things happen in the uncomfortable, sorry, does that make sense?"  
  
Chase gives her a kind smile, "It does. And I can relate, this is completely out of my comfort zone, I mean, I've been on camera and stuff before, but never to this caliber. My dad's a big tech guy, he made the Nemo cars and stuff, but...we kind of have a rocky relationship. I know he loves me, but he's not an emotions guy. I'm more of a momma's boy to be completely honest. I'd do anything for her."

Karolina can't help the smile that grows on her face, "You're very sweet."

"Thank you. Can I ask you about your last relationship? What went wrong?" Chase says.

Karolina flushes, "I've actually never been in a relationship before."

"And you're on a show where the winner gets engaged?" Chase chuckles.

"When you know, you know," Karolina shrugs.

Chase meets her gaze and pauses, "You're right, when you know, you know. Oh, and here, the first impression rose. I think you're someone special, Karolina."

Wordlessly, Karolina takes the bright, red rose from him and twirls it between her fingers. She can't seem to find the right words to say, except to smile as brightly as she can at him in gratitude. And before she can even think of anything, a shadow falls over the two of them, "Mind if I steal him?"

Karolina glances up and meets the eyes of Eiffel, who has a fake smile on her face along with the pseudo-cheery tone. In that moment, Karolina decides she doesn't like her, but she shrugs and gets up to let the girl talk to Chase. At the last second, Chase grabs her hand and squeezes, right before Karolina walks away. Surprisingly, Karolina doesn't feel jealous or anything as she walks away, but maybe that's because she knew what was going to happen coming in. She knew she'd have to share Chase, so her emotions seem to be calm. When she re-enters the living room, the girls all glance up at her and see the rose, before they fall into whispers. Her previous spot has been taken, but Karolina spots an open space next to the purple-haired girl, Gert, she believes her name is.

"Hey, Gert, right?" Karolina smiles, "my name is Karolina."

"I know who you are," Gert eyes her, "Chase seems to be all over you."

"Yeah, but it's just the first night. I'm sure it'll change. Why don't you go steal him from Eiffel? You'll go get more time with him," Karolina says.

"I was waiting for him to come talk to me," Gert tells her.

"Isn't that what society expects of women? To have us waiting on men? Why don't you say screw societal norms, and go make that first move," Nico suddenly butts in.

Karolina can basically see the gears turn in Gert's head as she nods and then heads outside to find Chase. Nico pointedly rolls her eyes as Gert leaves and she fills the spot Gert was once in, "Sorry about her, she gets overly aggressive. Big social justice warrior though, if you want to get on her good side."

Glancing over at her, Karolina notices the big height difference between the two and unconsciously laughs.

"What's so funny?" Nico's brows furrow.

"I didn't realize you were so short," Karolina admits.

"Har, har, har, haven't heard that before," Nico mocks and then takes a sip from drink, "god, I can't wait for this night to be over."

Karolina fully turns toward her, "Not having the time of your life?"

"What? You're saying dealing with judgmental women and drinking cheap champagne is your idea of a perfect night?"

"Nico, it's night one. You can't be this negative about it all, I mean what did you think about Chase?"

"Sweet, reminded me of a puppy."

"Stop, I thought the same thing."

At that, Nico finally laughs and fuck, it is a glorious sound. And for the life of her, Karolina can't figure out why her heart skips a few beats at it.

"I don't know, I guess I wanted a change. Some type of escape. I don't think I'll win. Dunno if I'll even get close."

"Nico, it's the first night. You can't give up already."

Nico glances up at her, "You ever just do something for the heck of it? Like just for the memory, even if you know it might not end amazingly?"  
  
"I-, yeah, I have," Karolina looks down into her dark eyes.

"That's how I feel right now. I'm here for the ride, if I fall in love, great. But if I leave alone, I mean that's just what I expect. Why reach for the stars when the clouds are closer?"

"I mean, better to have a dream than nothing, right? And if it doesn't turn out like you wanted, at least you experienced it."

"That's dangerous."

"What? Dreaming?"

"Wanting. That's a dangerous thing to do."

"What do yo-?"

But before Karolina can finish, Chris Harrison enters the room and announces the cocktail party. All of the girls are ushered into another room and Chase looks solemn in front of them. There's a tray of roses next to him and the air seems to be sucked out of the room as he begins. Karolina knows she's safe for tonight, but the worry about Xavin, Gert, and Nico makes it hard to breathe. They're her closest acquaintinces, friends even, that's she met and she doesn't want to say goodbye. Especially when Nico obviously knows something she doesn't. It's all a blur as Chase starts calling names and girl after girl are chosen. Suddenly, there's nine girls left and only one rose, and one of the girls is Nico. Karolina bites her lip as she stares at Nico, who is a row in front of her. There's no emotion shown on Nico's face as Chase picks up the final rose and Karolina feels like she might throw up.

"Nico," Chase says and Karolina almost screams, "will you accept this rose?"  
  
There are sobs already starting as Nico steps forward and accepts the rose from Chase and they hug. Karolina feels elated as Nico takes her place back in the row and then Chase is saying some meaningless words to the contestants who have been eliminated and Karolina is hugging eight girls whose names she doesn't know. As soon as the girls and Chase leave the room, the producers direct everyone else upstairs and to their respective rooms. 21 people left, and seven rooms, so each room is a triple. When Karolina hears her name called, she enters a bedroom that's equally larger and smaller than expected and is shocked to find Gert and Nico already in there.

"Hi, sorry I was a bitch earlier," Gert shoots her a nervous smile, "I shouldn't have let some guy get between us. Sisterhood, right?"

"Right," Karolina smiles.

And as Karolina starts to unpack, she knows she's in for the biggest adventure of her life, and it's all going to be shown on national television. Fuck.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> nico is a hopeless bisexual and is very attracted to blondes (especially ones named Karolina)

At this point in her life, Nico Minoru isn't the biggest fan of love. Even though admitting that love does nothing but hurt her makes her sound like an emo teenager, that's the truth. For a while, she had her boyfriend Alex, but that went to shit when her family died. To be fair, most of that was Nico's fault, she wasn't exactly super stable when she lost everything. They were better off as friends than a couple, but it still hurt to see how fast he got over their two year relationship. She's doing better now, four years of therapy and working on herself made a world of a difference. Nico isn't the same angsty, goth teenager who would hide behind layers of makeup, but instead she wears melancholy like a cloak. No one even has to point out the drastic changes she's gone through, how she used to be so defiant and angry, than withdrawn and quiet, and eventually settled into somewhere in-between. Most of the time, Nico can go through her day without being sucked into the past. Other times, like tonight for example, she feels like she's drowning under the weight of old memories.

The day had been pretty simple, all of the girls had been free to roam around the mansion and do as they please while the crew got footage for the second episode, but it had been the second day of just one-on-one dates (that Nico had not been selected for) and boring conversation. Gert was taken away for the day and Nico had no one to save her from the scavengers, save for Karolina (who did more drinking than talking). After hours of filler content, the producers finally let them go upstairs to their rooms and the crew left for the day, but Gert was still off somewhere with Chase. Nico and Karolina made their way back to their room where Nico proceeded to face plant onto her bed and just lay there. Some days, she didn't feel like talking and really didn't want to be portrayed as a bitch on national television for accidentally snapping at someone.

Nico hates this life, hates the spotlight that she was thrust into because her parents had money. She hates how angry she still is at her parents, even though they're dead and that anger won't do anything but tarnish her memory of them. And even though she isn't nearly as self-destructive as she was at eighteen, her nails unconsciously dig into her palms when she's upset or angry. There's no where for the anger to go, it just exists, and she still hasn't figured out how to completely get rid of it. And while the mask is exhausting to keep on, Alex convinced her that maybe reality tv would be an escape for her. It's all fake anyways, and what she says will be twisted in some random narrative that may not be true, but everyone here is pretending, and for once she can fit in. But for tonight, she can curl up in a ball and stare at the ceiling without a thousand cameras on her. With a sigh, she flips over so she's facing the ceiling, but her eyes are still closed.

"Nico?" Karolina suddenly says and Nico just makes a noise at the back of her throat in response.

"What?" Nico finally gives in after Karolina doesn't say anything else and the Wiccan is forced to open her eyes.

And holy shit, Karolina is wearing _very_ short shorts and her legs are super nice and Nico is suddenly aware of her strong preference for blondes.

"You said we were friends, right? What happened?" Karolina sits down on her own bed and Nico sits up.

There's over a foot between them, but it feels like there's no space at all. With her legs pulled up to her chest, Nico sighs again and wonders how much she should tell.

"We used to live in Los Angeles, only a block or two from your house. My family and I used to walk over every week for dinner. My mom found out something about your mother, and then confronted her and they got into a massive fight. Things escalated and then we moved across the country and that's that," Nico shrugs.

"About her affair?" Karolina prods.

Nico nods, "Yeah, with some random scientist. Guy seemed a little nuts, at least that's what my mom told me."

"That's my birth father, or at least that's what my mom told me. I don't know the truth anymore, I don't believe most of the shit she says anymore," Karolina admits.

Nico raises an eyebrow, "Perfect little church girl has mommy and daddy issues? Damn, who would've thought."

Karolina frowns, "You're an asshole."

"Indeed, that's my forte," Nico throws her a lazy grin before she lays back down, effectively trying to stop the conversation.

It works, until it doesn't and Karolina makes a noise a few minutes later. The youngest Minoru resists the urge to scream as she turns her head toward the pretty blonde and scowls.

"What?" Nico says.

"I've known you for like three days, but I feel like I've known you my entire life," Karolina blurts out, "and maybe I'm just too trusting but I believed you immediately when you said we were friends, even though you're basically a stranger."

"It's probably the cheap champagne affecting you," Nico shrugs.

Karolina gets up and sits down in front of Nico's bed, and now they are even closer and Nico just prays that Karolina can't hear the sound of her heartbeat. _Pretty girls fuck her up, very, very easily._

"I don't know why, and maybe it is the alcohol, but, I just have a feeling you're going to change my life," Karolina murmurs, and her tone is so sincere that Nico wants nothing more than to kiss her.

"With all those lines, maybe you should've been the Bachelorette," Nico says instead, the joke falling flatter than she expected.

Karolina looks up at her, ocean eyes so bright and so honest, "I mean it, Nico. I just have a gut feeling about this. And even if Chase doesn't choose me, I feel like you and I are gonna stay friends."

 _Friends. Yeah, friends, right, Karolina is straight and Nico needs to stop assuming people are flirting with her._ But before Nico can even get her thoughts untangled, Karolina is leaning in and oh shit, is she going to kiss her? Yet, Karolina stops inches from Nico's face and her thumb rubs against her cheek before she pulls away. Slowly, Nico lets go of the breath she hadn't even realized she was holding.

"Eyelash," Karolina smiles and sits back down.

"Oh. So, uh, friends?" Nico says.

Karolina smiles so brightly that Nico feels like she's the sun incarnated, "I'd love nothing more."

And then, Gert bursts into the room like she's floating on a cloud and starts rambling about her day with Chase and then Nico is smiling so much her face hurts. Gert is the only familiar person at this house really, and while they weren't really friends before, Nico can't help but be happy for her. She seems to be the most genuine out of the entire group, save for Karolina. If anyone deserves to fall in love, it's Gert or Karolina.

* * *

It's three days later, the evening after the rose ceremony, and another four girls have left. She's less worried about her spot now, and it's awful to be so pessismistic when it's only been a few days, but there are people way more deserving of a guy like Chase than her. Nico refuses to completely give up, but she's not going to go out of her way to steal Chase away from other girls, unless it's for Gert's sake. The house is still rambunctious as ever, but all of the crew has gone home for the day, so Nico can finally slip away. As carefully as possible, she steals an open bottle of wine from the kitchen and heads up to her room. There's no one there yet, so she simply takes off her heels, grabs her notebook, and then opens the window. Being on the second floor had its perks, and Nico is able to sneak outside and onto the roof, making sure she's out of immediate view of the window. Since she's on the show, Nico doesn't have her phone so she can't play music or anything, but she has a family portrait she keeps in her notebook. Carefully, she opens her notebook and with her free hand, she traces the outline of her sister, Amy. With her right hand, she brings the bottle of wine up to her mouth and takes a large gulp. 

"Happy birthday, Amy," Nico's voice cracks and she's glad no one is around to see her.

Muffling her noise as much as possible, Nico's shoulders shake as her body is wracked with sobs. Sometimes, it's easy to push away the survivor's guilt and keep on living. Not tonight, and not the past couple of days though. Nico just feels like she's sinking, and she wish she could talk to Alex or her therapist right now.

"Nico?" A voice suddenly calls out, but Nico doesn't even move, "Why are you on the roof?"

Nico hears the window shut and the patter of feet as Karolina sits down next to her. Wordlessly, Nico hands her the bottle and Karolina takes it from her hands without hesitation. Nico's notebook has already been shut, and Nico knows Karolina will never know unless she says something.

"It's, uh, my sister's birthday," Nico sniffles, "she'd be twenty-three."

"Nico, come here," Karolina mumbles and then Nico is engulfed in the warmest hug she's ever experienced.

Nico's hugged a lot of people in her life, but Karolina is definitely the best, it just feels natural. In her arms, Nico feels the tension in her shoulders disappear and her crying becomes more and more subdued before it stops altogether.

"Thanks," Nico sniffles again, "sorry for crying on you."

"Oh Nico, don't apologize. There's nothing wrong with crying and being vulnerable," Karolina tells her.

Nico is content to just stay in her arms, but Karolina pulls back a little and starts to shift a little. With one hand around Nico's shoulders, Karolina starts to point out different constellations in the night sky, and fuck, Nico could listen to her talk for another century. There's something about Karolina, something that makes her ethereal.

"When I was younger and my parents were fighting," Karolina says, "I used to lock myself in my room and just stare up at the stars. I don't know, they became like an escape for me and I learned everything I could about them. At times, I just wanted to get away and go live in the dark between the stars. You know, close enough to see the light but far enough away to not be blinded. I don't know, I guess I thought being an alien would be better than being Leslie Dean's daughter. It's stupid bu-"

"No," Nico interrupts, "it's not. Not if it's about you. That's a part of your past, and I think that's wonderful. Things like that, that's what makes you, you."

Karolina turns toward her and their eyes meet, and Nico wonders if maybe they've both been living in the dark between the stars their entire lives. They both stay frozen for a few seconds before Karolina sighs and then lays her head on Nico's shoulder.

"Thank you for saying that, it means a lot, truly. People tell me all the time that I'm beautiful and I'm special, but I've never really felt it, not until I came here. It's weird, I was known as 'Leslie Dean's daughter' for so long, but it never felt like anything. It never made me feel good, it always made me feel small. I think for years, that's all I thought I would be, and fuck, did I hate it. I don't want to be insignificant, as narcissist as that may sound, I want to make a difference. I'm terrified of dying without doing anything special, of just living my life as someone insignificance," Karolina says the words slowly, as if admitting these things has been a lifetime in the making.

"You're not the light of the world, but you shine on me," Nico tells her, and while the sentence doesn't really make sense in her head, the words come to her as easy as breathing.

Karolina picks her head up and stares at Nico, but it doesn't make her uncomfortable. It seems more like Karolina is having an internal conflict, than trying to question Nico's motives. Carefully, Karolina's arm moves from around Nico's shoulder up to cup her cheek. 

"Can I do something?" Karolina breathes out and Nico doesn't even hesitate before nodding.

And then, Karolina is leaning in and Nico meets her halfway and their eyes shut like clockwork. The kiss is effortless, and nothing like anything Nico has experienced before. It's a combination of the tension and the attraction they've been feeling since day one, but slow, as if Karolina has never kissed anyone before. Karolina's hands move to lock around Nico's neck and Nico's move up to cradle her face as Karolina brings her closer. It feels like only a few seconds after passed when Karolina pulls away, but it must've been more from the way her chest heaves.

"Sorry, I've just been wanting to do that," Karolina shoots her a nervous smile.

"I mean, wow," Nico blinks, "but what about Chase?"

But Karolina just kisses her again, effectively shutting her up, and Nico lets the doubt disappear. In Karolina's arms, she feels like she could do anything, and maybe all the damage she's experienced has all been for someone like this, someone ethereal, someone like Karolina.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> zoinks I wrote this all in one sitting, let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karolina doesn't know what she wants and everything comes to light

Nico's question keeps Karolina up all night, the possibilities of what could be and what should be swirling around her head. Chase is kind and sweet and reminds her of looking at the stars and wanting to escape. And Karolina knows, that if Chase chose her, she would be happy and he would treat her well. He's a good guy, and that was apparent from the start. But Nico on the other hand, she's the unknown. She is the dark between the stars, the blanket of night that falls right after dusk. Karolina doesn't know a lot about her, but she knows that kissing her feels like touching moonlight. There's something about Nico, something about the unknown, that makes Karolina want to run headfirst and dive in. However, Karolina knows that if she chooses to love Nico, it won't be easy. Loving Nico will be dancing with their hands tied. Loving Chase would be easy, like water flowing down a stream. Karolina can't deny how Nico makes her feel, but maybe she'll feel those things toward Chase, maybe they just need more time together. Maybe.

Her thoughts are just thoughts, but it all comes to fruition on the group date they have a week later. More girls are gone, including Xavin, but Eiffel is still there. Karolina can identify all of the other girls (a lot of Sarahs, Hannahs, and Jennifers) but she hasn't become close with any of them. Really, the whole week was spent juggling time with Chase and avoiding Nico, which is harder than it sounds when they share the same room. In reality, Karolina knows she's not being fair, just outright ignoring the other girl isn't the smartest move, but she couldn't think of anything else. The more time she spends with Chase, the more she enjoys his company. Whenever they' find time together, he's always beaming and his energy is infectious. They get along like a match and a spark, and conversations are so easy. Although, she notices that they never talk about anything below the surface level. All she knows of his family is that his mom had an affair a few years ago, and he doesn't get along with his dad. Karolina feels like she knows everything and nothing about him, yet she doesn't feel like there's probing questions on her mind. She's happy with the information he's willing to share, and doesn't try to press him at all about tougher subjects.

The group date's concept is simple enough, Chase used to be on the varsity lacrosse team for high school, so it's a lacrosse match between all of the girls. After a brief run-down of how the game works and the rules, they're all split into teams and given gear. And just because the world is not on Karolina's side, Nico and Gert happen to be on her team too. Their gear is all placed together, so there's an awkward silence between Nico and her as they change, but Gert nervously chatters the entire time, talking enough for all of them. As they're about to go out on the field, Gert places a hand on Karolina's shoulder and the blonde pauses to glance back at her purple-haired friend.

"Are you kinda into Nico? Just, when I walked into the room I kinda sensed a vibe," Gert says.

And Karolina feels the blood freeze in her veins for a second because _there are cameras everywhere and her mic is on and this conversation might be shown on national televiosn and-_

"I'm not gay," Karolina laughs instead, "Nico's probably just in a mood, when isn't she?"

With that, Karolina heads out onto the turf field and sees Chase cheering by himself in the front row of the stands. He waves at her and she smiles back through her mask and blows him a kiss. Karolina might not be the most athletic, but right now she has a game to win. The game starts off fairly even, with no one scoring a point. Instead of playing to a certain amount, the game would end at ten minutes, no matter what. And it's not until the final minute that things get more interesting than just them running back and forth. Her team has the ball and is racing toward the goaltender, when Karolina feels a body slam into her and then she's shoved on to the ground. There's a bleary couple seconds where all Karolina hears is a whistle being blown and...is that Nico yelling in the background? Gently, she's rolled onto her back and is staring at the sky when she feels her mask being pulled off of her face.

"Karolina, are you okay?" Chase says.

"I, yes, I think so?" Karolina starts, "I don't k-"

But before she can finish, Chase is leaning in and he kisses her, and Karolina's close a second later. Kissing Chase isn't like kissing Nico, not even close. He's warm where Nico was cold, but her lips are much softer. The kiss is chaste and soon he pulls back with a goofy look on his face.

"Can't believe you were brave enough to do that. I've been meaning to do this for a while, so no better time than the present right?" Chase smiles, "let's go make sure you're all right."

In one swoop, Chase easily picks Karolina up, bridal style, and the blonde wraps her arms around his neck. She can feel the sound of his heartbeat as he carries her off to the medic, and Karolina thinks that maybe she could fall in love with him.

* * *

When Nico sees Karolina get shoved to the ground by Eiffel, all she sees is red. Within seconds, she's up in Eiffel's face, and then she's screaming and although Eiffel has a good few inches on her, she can see the fear in her eyes. Out of the corner of her eye, Nico can see the producers running over to break them apart before Nico does something like punch her (honestly, she's pretty tempted to).

"Stay the hell away from her," Nico yells right before the producers push her back, "if you ever try this shit again, you'll know why so many people are fucking scared of me."

And then, she's turning to check on Karolina, even though for the last week she's been effectively ghosted irl (how much more painful could a rejection be?) and turns just as Chase leans down to kiss her. Yes, logically Nico knew this would happen, but Nico's never been big on logic. She's an act first, think never type of person. Her heart feels like it's being torn out of her chest and stomped onto the ground as she just stares and stares, before they pull apart and then Chase is picking her up and Karolina is giggling and she looks so at peace and so happy that Nico wants to sink into the ground and die. Nico thought that maybe after years of being collateral damage in other people's love lives, maybe she had found someone who would treat her right.

And oh, how wrong she was.

* * *

It's not into much later in the day that Karolina is driven back to the mansion. Chase stayed by her side while she was being checked out by a paramedic, and then whisked her off on a one-on-one date where they had a nice picnic. Karolina wonders if this will be her life if she chooses Chase, endless sunshine and picnics and a sweet husband who freaks out when she skins her knee. She thinks that maybe, maybe she could repress her feelings for a certain Minoru the rest of the show and just end up with Chase. Maybe she would be happy, she would definitely be save. But it's Chase who only hammers in her feelings for Nico, and not him.

"Sunshine or rain?" Karolina had asked him.

"Rain, ooh or maybe both," Chase told her.

Karolina was shocked at his answer, "What? Why? I would've thought you liked sunshine more."

"You never enjoy the good things in your life until they gone for a while. If there was only sunshine, you'd get tired of it eventually. A little rain is good, gives everyone a break, makes everyone appreciate what they have, instead of this idealistic version of what they want," Chase's words pierce her.

"You know, don't you?" Karolina is petrified.

It's clear Chase knew what she was talking about, even though she was being cryptic, "I do. Gert talked to me about it a little, and I mean today proved it."

"And the kiss?"

"I knew I was into it more than you. I was in deeper, I just had to test it."

"And do you know the one?"  
  
Chase smiled, "When you know, you know, no matter the circumstances or the issues, you just know. And I think you know, just like I do."

"What do we do now?"

"We get our girls."

And then, Chase has Karolina driven back to the mansion and the entire time, Karolina is hyping herself up. _Fuck Leslie, fuck the Church, she's spent too long living for other people and following their wishes. She just wants to be happy._ As soon as they park, Karolina sprints out of the car and into the mansion, past all the confused girls and up the stairs until she reaches their room. Then, she throws the door open and scans the room for Nico, but sees nothing other than her perfectly made bed.

"Where's Nico?" She asks Gert, who's sitting on her bed and reading.

Gert glances up over the rim of her glasses, "I thought you weren't gay."

"Gert, just please tell me where Nico is," Karolina pleads.

Gert's face morphs into one of concern, "She didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"Karolina, she's quitting the show."

And Karolina feels her heart stop beating, "Where is she?"

"I think they just called a car for he-" but Karolina doesn't wait before she turns and sprints downstairs and outside.

Just as she emerges, Karolina sees the black car and Nico right at the door. She's never run this fast in life, and her lungs burn as she runs toward the love of her life.

"Nico, wait, please don't leave," Karolina yells and Nico freezes, her hand on the door handle.

"Just...just go back to Chase, Karolina. You guys deserve each other, he'll treat you well," and from someone else, the words might've been biting but Nico means them so honestly and so kindly that Karolina wants to cry.

"I don't want him, I just want you," Karolina tells her, and while she thought the confession would've been pried from her chest, the words flow like lava, "I thought that coming here would be easy, it would be safe. I could find a nice guy and hopefully fall in love with him and then my mom wouldn't be as disappointed in me, but fuck what she thinks. Fuck what anyone else thinks. I am so tired of pretending to be this perfect church girl. Maybe I'm free to be who I really am. And who I want to be with."

"Karolina..." Nico says.

"And if you're leaving, then I'm coming with you because I've only known you for like three weeks but god, they have been the most confusing and the best weeks of my life. I didn't think I could ever feel this way, feel like there was someone who understood everything I'm trying to say and more. I came into this house expecting to fall in love with one person, but I fell in love with another one instead. And I don't know a lot about love, but I know enough to tell you that I'm in love with you, Nico Minoru. And I want you, no matter the cost. I want you and your secrets and the skeletons you keep in your closet, and all the darkness and the bad, because I know it comes with the good too. I see the way you carry yourself, all the burdens you hold, and I'm here to tell you, that you won't be alone anymore. If you'll have me."

"Karolina, I...I can't say that I deserve you, but I'm going to try, I'm going to try and deserve you because you're everything I've ever wanted and more."

And then, they both close the distance between them and Karolina gets to kiss Nico again and she feels like everything is right in the world. 

* * *

It's three months after they quit the show when the whole season starts airing. Karolina and Nico are hailed as the first couple to fall in love with each other, as LGBT+ advocates, and modern day heroes. It's a whirlwind of interviews and statements and brand deals, and that's when everything begins to crumble. Nico is used to the scrutiny and the internet being ruthless, but Karolina is not. Being newly out and dealing with suddenly being an icon, but also having to deal with the internalized homophobia that she's been brought up with is a struggle for Karolina, along with their new relationship. She's being pulled in a thousand different directions and trying to keep it all together is impossible. As well as that, Nico is still reeling from the trauma of everything she's been through, and her baggage is more than any normal person should be able to handle. They're both breaking at the seams, but they're too busy being there for each other that they forget to be there for themselves.

It's four months after they quit the show that they break up, and the whirlwind of everything is as over as quickly as it started. They get interviewed separately, but less frequently. The media doesn't care about the famous _The_ _Bachelor_ lesbian couple when they're not a couple anymore. In month five, they see each other for the first time at a Starbucks, and Nico leaves before she can even get her caffeine. 

It's month six when Karolina gets an email asking her to join the newest cast of Bachelor in Paradise, citing a chance for a new start. A chance to fall in love again, and so Karolina accepts. But unbeknowst to her, five miles away Nico agrees to the same email.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi! this is the end of the first book in the Deanoru Bachelor AU. it's pretty short, just to get the basics down, because in my mind, a lot of their time spent together would be off camera and the Bachelor is known for how quickly people "fall in love" and then break up almost immediately after. I think that it's also fitting for these characters to go out in that way, nico is always more flight than fight, so she tries to quit and Karolina would do anything for her, so she follows. a little more insight, for Karolina, this is her first love and her first relationship, so she jumps headfirst but there are obviously problems that need to be addressed between her and nico that have not been. that is what book two is for, it's going to be set in Bachelor in Paradise and give WAY more insight on Karolina and Nico's relationship and dive more into their pasts and shit. this book, you saw the surface level beauty and some angst, but next book it's going to be like a freight hit you lol. the sequel should be up soon, thank you all for your kind words, your kudos, and everything else, it truly means the world to me.


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